Magic of the Sparrow
by Lunatic
Summary: The Pearl is under attack and the captain and his crew have to fight for their lives
1. Magic of the Sparrow

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize… sadly_

_AN: This fic started with a dream I had and was written down during an incredible annoying college._

**Magic of the Sparrow**

A hard sound fills his ears and immediately after all sound disappears. Captain Jack Sparrow finds himself near the head of his _Pearl_. Around him pirates fight for their lives. Some of the pirates Jack know already for a very long time, the others are new, not very friendly, faces to him. The colors around him look unnaturally bright and Jack closes his eyes. Immediately his memory attacks him.

It was Cotton who discovered _the Windbreaker_, a known and dangerous pirate ship, first. As soon as Jack had set his eyes on it, he knew it was going to be a large fight. And if _the Windbreaker_ wasn't going to start one, he was going to do it instead! _The Windbreaker_ was the kind of pirate ship that gave pirates a bad name. Of course, Jack was a pirate as well and lots of the stories about pirates were true. But still, Jack was not the kind of pirate that would kill just for the fun of it, not like the pirates from _the Windbreaker_. But that was not the main reason why Jack wanted to attack that ship. When _the Windbreaker_ commandeers a ship on sea, they kill the captain and first mate and capture the rest of the crew, selling them later as slaves. In other words, they took away the freedom of these people. Now that was something unforgivable. Something that Jack would never do! Soon after the discovery of _the Windbreaker_ it had begun. They had attacked first, and _the Pearl_ had answered.

Jack opens his eyes again. Slowly the sounds around him come back. Sound of screaming, gunshots and swords fill the air. No cannons. Cannons were of no use anymore. The entire crew of _the Windbreaker_ was on board of _the Pearl_ and somewhere deep inside him a little annoying voice was starting to tell Jack that this would finally be the last journey of the infamous captain Jack Sparrow.

However, the entire world seems to have forgotten all about him for the moment. No one tried to attack him, no one paid any attention. Warm blood tickled over his left hand and Jack knew he was wounded. But the pirate who did that to him was already screaming his lungs out in one of the circles of hell, probably the deepest of the lot.

Jack becomes more and more aware of his surroundings. The first familiar face that he spots is that of Gibbs. Gibbs, who always seems to know if he was more needed as a listening ear or as a mate to get extremely drunk with. Gibbs, who knows him longer than any other member of his crew with expectation of Ana Maria. Gibbs, who was now hard on his way to loose his battle against a _Windbreaker_ pirate. Gibbs was old, too old to be a pirate, but he had proved again and again his value and the truth was that Jack didn't want to miss his company on his _Pearl_. Now Jack really wanted to help his friend to save his life, but somehow that was impossible. He couldn't raise his sword hand or reach for the gun on his belt. He simply couldn't do anything, expect of watching it all happen.

But then, with a stroke of luck, the _Windbreaker_ pirate falls over the dead body of one of his former mates and without a moment of hesitation Gibbs turns around and brings down his short sword in the back of his attacker. Jack grins a golden grin. Part of the reason why Gibbs was still among pirates and loved among the crew was his dumb luck that he always seems to have on the most needed moments. Gibbs has already turned around and slashed another pirate down before he disappears among the crowd.

Jack notices how he can move his legs again, although he can't walk with the large steps that he only uses during battle. Even his normal 'silly' walk is not possible; he can only shuffle forward. This annoys Jack enormously, because this only gives him the feeling that he cannot protect his friends any longer.

He sees Cotton running by, who is, in fact, also way too old to be a good pirate. However, although he doesn't know the mute for that long they have a strange friendship. He can perfectly understand Cotton, even without parrot, and Jack doesn't need any words either to make Cotton understand him. A _Windbreaker_ pirate stabs him painfully in his right arm, but than a younger _Pearl_ crewmember manages to save his older colleague. 

Next, Jack notices another familiar face among the fighting crowd. Ana Maria. She is screaming orders to her fellow crewmembers, while gracefully dodging a various amount of attacks. She quickly manages the kill a pirate and at the same time avoids another attack on herself. Her black hair is flowing in the wind and her cheeks seem to be wet with tears. This shocks Jack. His Ana Maria didn't cry. At least, he couldn't recall a time that he had seen her doing that. And he knew her already for a very long time. A time before Barbossa and his mutiny. A time when he was a happy young captain, together with his best friend William Turner on his own ship _the Black Pearl._ Ana Maria seems to be in her element in the middle of battle, although her eyes tell a different story. In her eyes Jack sees anger, but also a deep sorrow. What had happened?

Again Jack isn't able to move. Why is his Ana sad? She is a rather unique member of his crew, a woman and a very good pirate as well. Not many female were pirates these days, that is, openly female. He knew some female who dressed up as males to revenge their killed husbands. Ana didn't do that. She had a reputation that clearly stated not to mess with her or you would meet her sword. And even if that hadn't scared any male away they all knew what would happen if anyone would touch Ana Maria in a way that she didn't agree with. Jack would hunt that person down and than do something with him that he would normally never do. Only that occasion would give him satisfaction. He would torture that person to death in a horrible way.

Jack cannot bring himself to look away from the fighting Ana Maria. He cared about her. A lot. In fact, he cared more about her than he would ever admit to her or even himself. Too long he had known her already and he respected her way too much.

Were on earth did he ever managed to get such a loyal crew? They would die for their captain and his ship. Jack knew that. Why did he deserve such loyalty? He had heard stories enough, about pirates who betrayed their captain to work for another one. Heck, Jack almost invented paranoia towards crewmembers after his little 'incident' with Barbossa. He still remembers what Will Turner had said to him, at that time still a little bit of a naïve boy.

_So, _this_ is your able-bodied crew?_

_…_

_Satisfied?_

_Well… you've proved they're mad!_

Will Turner! Suddenly Jack's heart seems to stop for a short moment. How could he forget?! Will was on board of the _Pearl_ together with his wife Elizabeth! Jack closes his eyes in dismay. He wasn't that shocked if this was going to be his last journey, that's the risk of being a pirate, but he didn't want these two people killed. Not Bootstrap's son! Once in a while the Turners stayed on _the Pearl_ for a couple of weeks to take a sort of vacation. Then they were just part of the 'able bodied crew' and Jack always looked forward to these weeks. 

Now it had been 5 years since their last journey together. After 5 years they had left their 4-year-old son with Norrington to feel the wind in their hair again. Who would have thought that these two people would get a kid once? At least it was finally proved that Will wasn't a eunuch. Jack, they had called the little devil and 'Uncle Jack' still didn't understand why. It was not as if that name would give the little whelp any luck.

Slightly panicked Jack lets his eyes flow over the fighting people around him. Then he sees him. Will is standing at the other side of _the Pearl_ with his wife protectively behind him. Not that that is needed. Elizabeth just proves that she can handle a blade just as well as her husband when she kills yet another unknown pirate. Also her cheeks are wet. What is going on? Elizabeth is standing, on her turn, protectively in front of a body lying on the ground. Jack cannot tell who it is, but according to the protectiveness of Elizabeth it has to be someone of his crew. Jack feels a sting in his heart. He never was very good in handling the dead of one of his crewmembers.

Suddenly Jack is really angry. Who had the right to kill his crewmembers and threatening the living ones? He notices that he can walk again and although it's not yet is 'battle' walk it will do for the moment. He takes a firmer grip on his sword and makes his way towards Will and Elizabeth.

And then the world simply stops.

Suddenly Jack recognizes the body that is lying on the ground. It's scary familiar. He knows those boots and these trousers. Heck, you would say that he would known his own wardrobe by now don't you think? One look down to his own 'body' and he sees just what he fears he would see. The right side of his normal not so white shirt is red. Red from blood, _his_ blood. All the pieces of the puzzle seem to fall in place. So that was that hard sound that he had heard. And that also explained his inability to help Gibbs, Cotton and the others. And the wet cheeks were explained as well. They cried over him. 

A moment Jack is lost for words. Then he can't help but grin. His dad would have never believed it if Jack would have told him that his 'useless son' would have two beautiful and intelligent women cry over him when he would die. Slowly he approaches his lying form completely ignoring the chaos around him. He kneels down next to himself and takes a closer look to the place where to bullet has entered his body. Right next to the two already existing bullet marks, staying memories of his meeting with the East India Trading Company, there is a brand new one. Jack doesn't dare to touch the spot, flinching at the thought how much his two 'brothers' had hurt. His eyes move up to his face. His lips are slightly parted and his eyes closed. A little wound above his left eyebrow has made a mess of his braids and trinkets. Trinkets with all their own memories attached.

His eyes move down again. His shirt, his tattooed arms with pirate brand and a large amount of scars, his hands with a small collection of golden and silver rings. Further down his eyes go to his trousers and boots. Well… he didn't actually look bad did he? He could understand the female attention that he always had in every port he entered. His eyes travel up again and suddenly he notices something. Isn't he…? Isn't he breathing?

A moment Jack hesitates, but that he slowly let his hand touch his lying body. He is not cold. And indeed, he feels a very small movement. He's breathing!

Again sound disappear and than his view has changed. He's no longer watching at his body lying on deck, this time he notices a large amount of dirty feet standing on _his _ship, threatening _his_ friends. He hears the orders that Ana Maria is screaming. And he also feels. He feels a lot more than he would want to. His head is feeling as if a bunch of pirates are dancing the tango in it, his left arm is feeling annoyingly stiff and he doesn't even want to think about how the gunshot if feeling at that moment. For about the hundredth time today Jack closes his eyes and concentrates on his breathing. Although it hurts a lot he realizes that as long as he's breathing he can try to help his friends. 

Slowly it starts to become more stable and Jack listens to the sounds of his _Pearl_. He knows her better than he knows himself. He hears the robes and the wood and he's positive that he would be able to recognize his _Pearl_ only by the sounds that she's making. She is one of the few female that he has never cheated on. It doesn't matter where he is, his heart is always with _the Pearl._ Without her, he feels strange. Empty almost. And now he's going to fight for her, and maybe even die for her. These _Windbreaker_ pirates are not going to lay one hand on this proud lady. Not as long as there is one single breath his body. He is going to try to save her and all the other people he cares about. Some strange way of faith had brought them all together on this place, with the expectation of little Jack and Norrington. They would probably never become friends, but there is some sort of respect now on both sides.

He opens his eyes again and takes one last very deep breath before starting to move up. Ignoring everything he slowly gets in a sitting position and than, to his amazement, he notices that his sword is still in his right hand. Good. Vaguely he's aware of Elizabeth's voice that is screaming his name in shock, but ignoring that he steadily gets on his feet again.

He's going to show them not to mess with Captain Jack Sparrow!

_This is supposed to be a one shot fic, but I'm not sure. Reviews are appreciated!_


	2. Courage for our Friends

**_Much respect and many many hugz to my lovely beta jackfan2_**

****

**Chapter 2 - Courage for our friends**

Everybody stopped fighting. 

Both crews turned to watch in amazement, the bloodied, stumbling form of Captain Jack Sparrow, enemy and friend. This was a side of him that not many people survived to see. Jack was mad, raging mad.

Almost always the pirate captain understood why an enemy acted as it did. Almost always he could respect the decisions made on both sides in battle and defeat. 

But not this time. 

Jack Sparrow was down right furious and white hot hatred drove him, lent him strength to move. The reasons for his anger were many, the first being slavery.  The very act of taking away a man or woman's freedom warred against everything Jack stood for.  The pirate captain could think of nothing worse, not even mutiny! The second point that propelled him onward was fear for his close friends and crew. This odd assortment of people to whom the captain felt a deep responsibility for, were the closest thing to a family the pirate had ever had known. The anger became a red haze of rage when he thought of what would happen to them if he didn't survive this. While he knew and could accept his own demise at the hands of _The Windbreaker_ pirates, he could not accept the fate of Gibbs and Anamaria.  It was a well known fact that the other pirates always killed the Captain and First Mate. Since the job was shared between Anamaria and Gibbs, both of their lives would be forfeited  No, he could not accept this. They were two of his closed friends, two of the few people that he actually trusted. And the rest of his crew would be sold as slaves. Mr. Cotton, Elizabeth… and worst of all Will Turner, son of the man to whom Jack once vowed that he would become the most legendary pirate captain ever and not one out of many. He would never allow his friends to be sold like beasts, to be imprisoned forever.

No longer certain how he managed to stay on his feet, all Jack knew was that he would make damn sure that he would stay upright for as long as possible. The gunshot wound high on his right side throbbed unrelentingly and his useless left arm glowed with pain.  Having sustained numerous injuries in battle, Jack was a master at mentally separating himself from the knifing pain. Effortlessly, he could remove his mind from all obstacles and focus on his opponent, as if he were not hurt at all.

They stared in awe of the bloody spectacle that was Captain Jack Sparrow. Even his enemy had to wonder at his fortitude as out of some kind of macabre respect the pirates on deck of _the Pearl_ move out of his way. Swords are lowered and faces turned, curious at what was to happen next.

Anamaria pulled her sword out of a body and made a move to help her friend, hardly believing that he was still on his feet in the first place. Not long ago she had feared he was dead. Before that, however, she had always believed that Jack could not die, at least not yet. Too many times he had been badly wounded and every time he had continued living with a golden grin. He never seemed to be damaged, not physically nor mentally. The only things that proved that Captain Jack Sparrow was not untouchable were the many scars that covered his body. Not long ago Ana had believed her captain was dead. And it had shocked her. For the first time in many years she had cried. Then, her tears were replaced by a new emotion: anger. No way in hell she was going to allow Jack's beloved _Pearl _to fall into the hands of a bunch of blood thirsty cutthroats. These blackhearts who'd killed one of the few men who had given her a chance when she had needed it most. Now a new emotion had replaced the anger: disbelief. Jack had come back to life. The immortal, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Ana felt somebody's hand on her shoulder and, luckily for Gibbs, she saw him out of the corner of her eye just before she spun and raised her sword to his chest. One look in his eyes told her not to do anything. This was Jack's moment. And for probably the first time in her life she heeded his warning.

Jack stopped in front of the captain of _the Windbreaker_, Giulio Romano, the only man who didn't step out of the way. 

Jack took a deep breath before speaking,"I want te make a deal with ya."

Even the pirate captain was surprised at how loud and normal his voice sounded, especially considering his current condition. A small line of blood illustrated the path he had just walked and Jack's left arm is dangled useless at his side.. Traces of blood drip over the left side of his face and his shirt was no longer white but it too was covered in blood.

"A deal?" Giulio says amused. Taking in Jack's condition, he obviously felt a heightened sense of victory and his Italian accent thickened as he spoke.

"Yes, Romano. I knew there wa' a reason they made ya cap'n."

Giulio's face darkened at the insult. "What d' you want, Sparrow."

"I want to fight ye."

Giulio laughed, but he did so alone.  A collective gasp and murmur's of disbelief and awe could be heard from both crews. Long forgotten now was their fight for life or dead as there attention fixed aptly on the two captains. This was not something one didn't witness very often, a chance  to see a legendary battle played out before their own eyes. Anamaria took one step forward, but again Gibbs stopped her.  In unison Elizabeth laid a hand on Will as he too went to aid his friend.

"_Che!? _You want to fight _me? _ Look at you Sparrow. You're 'alf dead already!"

Stubbornly Jack shook his head. "Dead men tell no tales, Romano. I want t' make ye this deal. You fight me. If ye win, _the Pearl_ is yours, but you'll 'ave t' let me crew go. If I win, yer crew leaves my ship."

"What makes you think I want this ship?"

Jack shrugged and an unbelievably large grin creased his battered face. "Think about it, mate. _The Black Pearl_.I She's the fastest ship in the Caribbean."

Giulio considered it. Of course it's true: _the Pearl_ is the fastest ship with a very good reputation as a pirate ship as well. And it would really do his image well if he would beat the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. He only needed to take care that it was not added in the stories that Sparrow was already half dead when the duel had started. Giulio's little eyes glittered as he considered the possibilities. This was indeed the golden chance to become the most fearful pirate ever!

"Why should I fight you? Who says I will not win anyway? If I win without this deal, and I will, I still have a crew to sell."

"Ye'r _not_ going to sell me crew!" Jack's eyes grew dangerously dark. "They woul' rather die then become slaves!"

  
Some of Jack's crewmembers shuffled uncomfortably and Jack knew why. They were not entirely convinced that forfeiting their lives was the better alternative than becoming slaves   On the other hand: dead sounded a lot more peaceful than slavery.

"These are the terms Giulio: we fight fer the lives of me crew and the prize of _the Pearl._ If ye win, you take the ship but not the crew.  Them you will take to the nearest Port and leave unharmed. If I win, yer crew is going to leave me ship, savvy?"

Giulio thought longer about it. Noting Jack's condition he decided this could be an easy fight. If this fool of a captain wanted to play it like that he could get it. And besides, who said he would actually keep his word after the pirate captain was dead? With a grin he grasped the other's left and Jack flinched under that touch. 

Giulio's grin grew even wider. "We have an accord. No quarter given?"

Jack only nodded in reply.

All the pirates on board _the Pearl_ formed a wide circle around the two captains. Cotton's parrot was perched high atop the yard arm of _the Pearl_, uncharacteristically quiet, something that didn't happen very often. The only sound to be heard was the sea lapping gently against the sides of the two ships, even _the Pearl_ herself seemed to be holding her breath for what was about to happen. Anamaria grasped Gibbs arm and was not able to let him go. Gibbs himself seemed to have turned a couple of shades paler and he focused all his energy on his captain not even noticing Ana's hand on his arm. Out of fear and trepidation Will and Elizabeth clung desperately to one another and other crewmen of _the Pearl_ cast worried glances, quietly seeking assurance. Their captain was about to fight for life or dead to save them all!

Giulio stood tall, his confident grin never once faltering. Confident he was that this would probably be the easiest fight he'd ever endure!  The cocky grin grew to a wide smile as he brought his sword up, ready to attack.

Upon first glance, one would never surmise that Jack was about to engage in a fight at the risk of his own life. He looked up at Cotton's parrot and a gold-toothed grin creased his face before turning to Giulio. Surrounded by his friends and on his ship Jack knew then that he had strength enough to seize the day. Quickly and gracefully as ever Jack suddenly attacked.

Giulio was able to move out of the way, but Jack's cutlass missed him by mere inches. To say that Giulio was surprised by the strength behind this attack would be a serious under statement. Unfortunately for Jack, he was able to pull himself together very quickly; letting years of survival speak for itself. If Jack wanted it this way, he could get it!

Anamaria felt a tremble of fear as she watched them continued to fight, circling each other like dogs and attacking now and then, while the other was able to dodge away the attacks all the time, sometimes a little easier than others. During the course of their fight, neither captain had yet sustained wounds at the other's hand, that is, if you didn't count the gunshot that Jack had received from Giulio's gun. At first the only sounds that were clearly discernable were those of the sea and the clashing blades, but slowly a new sound become more noticeable: Jack's breathing. It seemed that with every minute that went by Jack's breathing became more harsh more laborious. Not that _that_ was surprising. The bullet that had hit him earlier, must have entered his body very near, and maybe even in, his lung. Add to that the deep gash on his upper left arm, he was losing blood with each beat of his heart and the fact that his heart was beating faster with exertion. . . Ana wasn't sure he'd last much long.

Barely in time, Jack ducked and Giulio's blade sliced through thin air, where only seconds ago Jack's neck had been. A loud gasping sound escaped from the lips of the young cabin boy of _the Pearl_, Edmund, who had only sailed with _the Pearl_ for a couple of weeks now. In that short amount of time, however, the boy had already held a large adoration for the man he called captain.

Of course Giulio was aware of the growing discomfort of his opponent and the grin made reappearance on his face. Obviously Jack had gambled and he had just lost. _The Pearl_ was his!

Jack saw the satisfied grin as well and his hatred towards the other pirate captain grew even more. Who was this man to decide who was going to win or not?  A surge of strength gathered from his rekindled hatred, gave him back some of his failing strength and Jack made his move. With a high sweeping motion, he brought his cutlass up as if to slice Giulio's neck.  In response Giulio moved his own sword up to block and Jack, knowing his ruse had worked, quickly moved the sword down to his opponents now defenseless chest. Giulio gasped loudly when the sword sank deep into his sternum, splitting the bone and flesh of his chest.  Suddenly Jack was no longer the only one who had difficulty breathing.

As he removed his cutlass, Jack staggered back a few steps to stop and look at the now kneeling form of Giulio. Swaying precariously on his feet, Jack still stood watching the blood pool from his opponent's chest. Giulio's eyes were wide open in surprise when he looked at his rival. With a quick move Jack disarmed him and Giulio's sword flew into the air to disappear seconds later in the depths of the sea.

"I win." Jack said. 

Those simple words broke over Giulio as disbelief collided with an explosion of anger. This was _not_ supposed to happen! _He_ was supposed to win this battle and be forever feared! His face filled with hot anger he suddenly reached down and pulled a hidden gun from the top of his high boots. Without a moment of hesitation he fired and Jack, his mind and movements sluggish from loss of blood was not fast enough to move completely out of the way. The bullet entered his left thigh and he stumbled but, somehow managed to stay on his feet.

Giulio shook his head in disbelief. "This can't be happening! You're supposed to be dead!"

Jack took three shaky steps forward and halted in front of his enemy. Placing the point of his cutlass under Giulio's chin he forced the other to stand up.

"I'm no' dead, _mate_… Ye are." And with that he thrust his cutlass forward into Giulio's throat, who then sank ungracefully to the deck. Dead.

No pirate dared to cheer.  Watching Jack stagger back, with less balance than before Anamaria moved quickly to her friend, just in time to catch him before his buckling knees give away.

"Ana?" Jack whispered in barely audible tones. 

"Hush, Jack. Ye've won."

"Know… ye command me _Pearl_… Ye have to… le' these fine gentlemen return to their own ship…"

"I said t' hush, Jack. Ye don't have t' talk. I know what needs doin'."

"Ye have te take everyt'ing of any valuable of _the Windbreak'er_ but leave them enough to reach the nearest port…Savvy?"

"Savvy, Cap'n. Now be silent."

"Ana?" So soft was his voice that Anamaria had to bring her ear near his mouth to hear what he was saying.

"M' sword… ge' it b'fore ye throw Giulio overboard…"

Will and Cotton reached Anamaria just before Captain Jack Sparrow finally decided it was time to loose his battle for consciousness and together they carried the pirate captain of the Black Pearl to his own cabin where his wounds could be tended and hopes for his survival could be kindled.

_End notes:_

_- Giulio Romano is an Italian architect (and student of Rafael) who lived from 1499 until 1546. I used only his name and his nationality. I just needed a name for my _Windbreaker_ captain and the professor was just talking about him when I was writing this down_

_- Che means 'what' in Italian (I'm not Italian myself, but I'm a beginner when it comes to learning this language)_

_- Reasoning why Jack isn't in an attack position when the fight starts: Johnny Depp said during the cast commentaries on the DVD that he saw Jack a bit as Muhammed Ali and of course I wanted to follow this view of Jack!_

_- The title of this chapter comes from _Return of the King_ (the movie) and it's the wonderful Eowyn who says this to Merry when the battle on the Pelennor Fields is about to start_

_A shout out to my reviewers: thank you all so very much! Everyone begged/threatened me to continue and so I did. Hope you like this little update as well __J_


	3. Daft Like Jack

_Once again a very big 'thank you' to my wonderful beta Anamaria Sparrow!_

_AN: My deepest apologies for the long wait. I have the idea there is more behind this story, but I'm not exactly sure what it is going to be. Therefore the long wait… somehow, someday this story will be continued!_

**Chapter 3 - Daft like Jack**

Everything hurt, including lying under the rough sheets and breathing. The world didn't seem real and Jack decided to keep his eyes closed. He wasn't sure if he was ready to face the world and the mess he had made just yet. He heard voices, but he was way too tired to connect faces with them. Darkness claimed him again.

The next time he awoke Jack felt a lot better. Maybe even good enough to take a quick peek to find out where on earth he was right at the moment. But not yet. He should not get over enthusiastic. For now he was just going to enjoy the peaceful silence. Slowly he became more aware of his surroundings. He felt the room he was sleeping in going up and down in a calm rhythm. A smile formed on his face: at least he's still at sea.

Sounds were starting to become clearer as well. He heard the cracking of wood, the ropes, the rushing of sails and bare footsteps on deck. His _Pearl_. He would recognize those sounds always and everywhere. There was no other ship that he knew that well, no other place that felt so close to a home. Now he has discovered where on sea he is, things become even clearer. The smell of wood, the vague voices and the bed he was lying in: it all told him he was on _the Pearl_. One quick peek took away even the last bit of doubt. What he saw was his cabin, with his stuff, on his _Pearl_. For one moment all that happened before seemed like a realistic nightmare. Sadly, then the throbbing pain decided it was about time the pirate captain should know about its presence again.

His left arm seemed too stiff to move, so it's with his right hand that he started to discover how bad his wounds were. With his eyes closed he first moved his hand towards his face. He felt a slightly wet bandage over the left part of his face and one quick examination through his hair told him that at least one trinket had disappeared. Following the lines of his face, he moved his right hand down his neck to his chest. That was the part of his body that hurt most and even under the soft touches of his hand he flinched. Under his shirt he clearly felt thick layers of bandage. His heartbeat increased: if there was one thing he hated it had to be gunshots. They hurt too long and healed too slowly. His right hand traveled down a bit further and found a third bandage, this time around the high part of his left leg. Slowly the memory returned of where he had gained that wound and a soft groan escaped his lips.

This was just bloody fine! Three gunshots, all in once! Faith seems to like playing cruel games with him.

The door of his cabin opened and a person entered. Even with his eyes closed it didn't take Jack long to recognize this person. Anamaria. The exotic smell that always seemed to hang around her, gave her away.

"Jack?" Ana whispered softly. "Are ye awake?"

For a moment Jack considered just to stay silent, to pretend he was still asleep, but then he shrugged. He had to wake up sometime, so why not now?

"Yes, luv." Jack was shocked by the sound of his voice. Was that really him? That voice that sounded barely louder than a whisper? At least Anamaria seemed to have heard him.

"Jack!" With quick strides, Ana was next to his bed. In her enthusiasm over his awakening, she grasped his arm. She immediately let go again when she noticed the pirate captain flinch under her touch. "Sorry Jack," she added in a whisper.

"Don' bother luv. Just don' expect me to wrestle with a giant snake just yet."

Jack heard a soft laugh escape Anamaria's lips and that was all he was aiming for. He hated it when people worried about him. Then he frowned and opened his eyes.

"Ana, luv? Who is sailing me _Pearl_?" He eyes locked with hers when she replied.

"Gibbs, with lil help from young Turner. Tha' lad has still got lots to learn, but pirate is clearly in his blood."

Without any form of warning paranoia seemed to attack Jack. He had learned the hard way not to trust a pirate and now Gibbs was sailing his _Pearl_?

"Jack? Wha's wrong with ye?" Anamaria saw the sudden change in Jack's eyes. Suddenly they didn't show the normal glint anymore that almost always seemed to dwell in Jack's eyes. Suddenly he looked almost... scared?

With a deep breath Jack suddenly sat up straight in his bed, the panic becoming even more clear. He forced his unwilling legs out of his bed.

"Jack! Ye daft fool! What do ye thing ye'r doin? Ye'r supposed to stay in yer

bed!"

"Captain, luv, _Captain_. I'm the captain of _the Pearl_!" panic made Jack's voice sound louder than before.

"Of course ye are the captain, Jack. Jack!"

He still didn't listen to her and had somehow managed to stand on his feet, a bit disorientated, but at least he was standing.

Anamaria shook her head in disbelief and could only think of one thing to do to stop the panicked pirate captain. Without hesitation she stepped firmly in front of the swaying form and with all her power she slapped him.

The sound of the slap seemed to fill the entire cabin. Then Jack sank to the floor. An "I'm sorry Jack" was the last thing he heard.

Jack had been awake for about half an hour now. In this time two people entered his cabin, one of them being Anamaria, but he had pretended to be asleep. He was carefully planning what his next move was going to be.

Jack still wasn't sure what was going on. Was there going to be mutiny? That was really the opportune moment to have one, especially since he wasn't really capable of protecting himself right then.

Would they really do that? That was the heart wrenching part of this entire issue. Gibbs, Anamaria, Will, Elizabeth, his entire crew... he trusted these people. He had no idea when it had started to happen, but it did. He couldn't really believe that they would do that to him. They had come back with his _Pearl_ once before, when it was probably even more an opportune moment to commandeer his ship.

On the other hand: they were pirates. Even the Turners had more pirate blood than they wanted to admit in public. And he still owed them a ship. He had trusted Barbossa once as well; or else he would have never made him first mate. He had never liked the man, but he did trust him. Look how that had turned out: his best friend dead and he had been without his _Pearl_ for 10 long years.

Of course he had heard the stories as well and right at this moment he wished he hadn't. The stories about other pirate captains. Pirate captains who got seriously injured in battle and then left to die, while the crew sailed away on their ship.

A plan started to form in his mind. If only he could show himself on deck. If only he could get to the helm. Then he could show his crew that he still was Captain Jack Sparrow and that there was no possible way they would take over his ship!

There was only one flaw in this plan: he wasn't sure if he was able to walk that far. Normally it would take him less than a minute to get from his cabin to the helm, but now he wasn't so sure. Now he wasn't even sure if he could stand in the first place.

His heartbeat seemed to increase again in a sudden rush of panic, but Jack managed to pull himself together. The second person had left only minutes ago so that would mean that he had some time. Slowly he managed to sit up straight, but than he had to wait for a couple of minutes, the pain suddenly too overwhelming to handle. The world started to swim in front of his eyes, but after a little time things turned back to normal.

Now on to the second part: standing. Gathering strength Jack forced his legs out of the bed, again sitting for a few moments to calm down before he tried to stand on his feet. The first time failed miserably and Jack fell back into his bed for a moment only seeing black spots. The second time went better: at least he was standing now. Jack quickly shook his head to clear his mind and focused on the next problem: walking. Painfully slowly he managed to take one step forward and then followed a second. His knees buckled, but Jack has no intention to give up so quickly.

Minutes later he stood in front of the door of his cabin doing his very best to ignore all the pain and the buckling of his knees who were just hoping that they would be allowed to give way really soon. Then he took a deep breathe before opening the door. He then only needed to pretend that it didn't hurt as much as it did. He should not show any form of weakness in front of his crew of pirates.

The main deck was empty with one expectation: Edmund. The little boy turned around as soon as he heard the door open and his eyes widen, surprised by the sight of his captain. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to scream or say something, but then he decided against it. He could only stare.

As quickly as possible, Jack continued his little journey to the helm. As long as Anamaria didn't catch him out of his cabin he was going to do just fine. Slowly he walked up the stairs to the helm and there the shocked eyes of Gibbs met his.

"Ja-- Cap'n? Wha' fer the devil are ye doing on yer feet?"

Jack simply ignored him and pushed the older man away, before thankfully grabbing the wheel with both hands glad for the extra support. Immediately he felt better, having the Pearl under control. At least he showed them that he was still Captain Jack Sparrow!

"JACK!" Two female voices screamed at the same time.

Jack closed his eyes. "Bad luck to have women aboard... ye were right all along..." he muttered under his breath.

Two women were standing soon in front of him, both with flaming eyes.

"What are you doing out of your bed, Jack? You should rest!" Elizabeth.

"Ye bloody daft fool of a pirate! Ye should stay calm fer a couple of days!" Anamaria scolded.

"No." Only one word and he said it with as much as power as he can manage. He met the eyes of both women, but didn't look away, something for which Gibbs admired him deeply; he wasn't entirely sure if he would survive the rage of the two in front of Jack.

"Ye can't sail this ship yet, Jack! Ye are sick!"

"Jack... please..." Elizabeth tried it with her charm instead of her anger. "You are badly wounded. You really should rest a little longer. We all will look after _the Pearl_ for you."

In the mean time a small crowd has gathered around on the main deck, all watching at the scene in front of them. Will carefully walked nearer as well, giving his wife some support.

"Come on, Jack," he spoke, "You trust us right?"

A silence followed, but realization started to form in Gibbs eyes. With a quick look at his captain he walked to the two women and Will.

"We 'ave te talk." Without listening to their complaints Gibbs forced them away from Jack and the other crewmembers.

"Listen." Even Anamaria decided she'd stay silent for the moment. "I know wha's wrong with Jack... 'e's afraid we'll take 'is _Pearl_."

"Why would he think that? You would never do that, right?" Elizabeth looked at Gibbs, not believing that he would even consider this option.

"Never, Miss Elizabeth. But ye have to remember were talking about Jack here. 'e has been mutinied b'fore and although 'e would not admit it it's his biggest fear... reason has nothing to do with it."

"Bloody daft fool," Anamaria whispered, but her face had softened. "We ave to make clear we would no' do tha'!"

"I think deep in his 'eart he knows." With that Gibbs turned and walks to his Captain, whispering something in his ear that made him look up. For a moment he said nothing, but then a small grin appeared on his face.

"Well, Mr. Gibbs. If ye would be so kind to bring me back to me cabin, I would be much obliged." Then Jack took the arm of the older man and Gibbs lead him back to his cabin, while Anamaria, Elizabeth and Will stared at the two: completely dumbfounded.

"Well bloody hell..." Anamaria whispered.

* * *

_Pingpong5 - Thank you for your sweet words! Well JD _is_ Jack, so I must seriously consider his view on the character!_

_Jackfan2 - Well, finally there is more… and this chapter just asked to be continued as well, don't you think?_

_Pigwidgeon - Do you know that you have to be one of my most loyal readers? I believe you've read and review every single story that I've written in the PotC fandom so far. Thank you so much for doing that!_

_Homeless Nobody - Your wish is my command ;)_

_Meowface - Well, there is more. Don't know yet, what more, but there is_

_Redbud-Tree - LOL! Well, I'm really productive these days so you should consider yourself warned_

_Jogreenleaf1 - How do I come up with this kind of stuff? I have no idea… blame my imagination I guess_

_Chem - I think Jack almost always, somehow manages to get out undamaged. _


	4. Bullets

_Very big hug to Anamaria Sparrow for the beta read_

_Because I was ill and bored I have now made myself a website. Go to my profile for the weblink :)_

**Chapter 4 - Bullets**

_The Pearl is nothing without her Sparrow._

That was exactly what Gibbs had told him. And when he had whispered that simple line in his ear, Jack understood. He saw in Gibbs eyes everything he needed to know: loyalty, friendship and dedication. To him. Somehow during all his years as a pirate he had managed to gather around him a group of loyal people.

When had that happened? And more important… why?

Jack really didn't understand why people should follow him of all people. But he had to admit: it felt good. It felt so incredibly good to know that he was safe where he was now. That he shouldn't be worried about his _Pearl._

_The Pearl is nothing without her Sparrow._

Sleepy Jack opened one eye. Truth be told he didn't feel too well at the moment. His shoulder and leg were constantly hurting and his head seemed to explode every time he tried to move. Maybe going up yesterday wasn't such a brilliant idea after all.

"Good morning, Jack. Are you awake?" suddenly asked a voice left of him. Will. What on earth was the lad doing next to his bed?

"Aye, mate," Jack said, still shocked by the way his voice sounded. "What fer te devil are ye doing 'ere?"

Will chuckled. "Well, taking care that you are not going to do something incredibly stupid again."

"Me? I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, mate. I'm allowed te do stupid things… else it will seriously damage me image."

Again Will chuckled. "Well, Captain… I think you have done enough stupid for a while… What about getting healthy first, before doing something stupid again?"

Jack closed his eyes before he replied. "Aye, mate. I can live with tha' idea…"

"Good, Jack. Now sleep. Sleeping helps."

This time it was Jack who chuckled. "Aye… but the dreams aren't really helping…"

Will grasped Jack's arm, suddenly sounding worried. "What are you dreaming then, Jack? … Jack?"

"Nothing, mate. Memories tha's all," the pirate captain slurred, before drifting away into sleep again.

---

The next time Jack woke up, it was Anamaria who sat next to his bed. With a cold hand she was touching his forehead, frowning slightly when she did so.

"Wha's wrong, luv?"

Ana was a bit startled by this response, not expecting the pirate captain to be awake. "Ye've a serious fever, Jack."

"Just my luck," Jack muttered, then he groaned. "Luv? Can I ask ye a question?"

"Sure, Jack."

"Have ye taken the bullets out?"

Ana looked in disbelieve at the sick pirate on the bed. "B-bullets?"

"Aye, luv. Ye know? Those blasted things tha' entered me body not so long ago?"

"N-no… I don't think so…"

Jack groaned even louder. "Aren't ye people supposed te know these kind of things? They 'ave te get out, luv…"

"But… why?"

"They poison yer body, luv. Never good te have those things in yer body fer too long… Ana?" this was whispered. "Look in me case… a wooden box."

Immediately Ana turned towards the large wooden case that was standing against one of the walls of Jack's cabin. Ever since she had known Jack, this case had been in his cabin. She had always been curious about what was in it, since he loved to tease her about his 'treasure', but until now she had never been allowed to take a look.

"Can I look?"

"What d'ya think I just told ye te do, luv?" Jack sounded really tired. "But be quick, luv… not sure how long I can stay awake…"

After a moment of hesitation Ana opened the case. The first thing she noticed was a small booklet with an orange coloured cover.

"A wooden box?"

"Yes, luv. Small."

Carefully she started to search between the stuff in the case. Her hands meet drawings and other papers. And a wooden box.

"Got it Jack!"

"Open it, luv."

She quickly looked at Jack to convince herself that he actually meant it and then she opened it. One a dark green fabric lay two bullets. Two bullets that have clearly been used already.

"What…?" Ana started, but Jack interrupted her. 

"Staying memory of the East India Trading Company, luv. Those two are the ones I received b'fore."

Slowly Ana started to understand. "They need te get out."

"Aye, luv."

"What do I need te do Jack?"

Jack sighed. How he was going to hate the next couple of hours! "Get Will, Gibbs, Cotton and another strong man. And get 'Lizbeth. And Ana? Bring lots of rum,"

Ana opened her mouth to protest against this last remark, but Jack quickly stopped her.   
  
"Believe me, luv. We are going te need it."

Five minutes later everyone was gathered around Jack's bed. Jack was now fully awake and nervous about what he knew would come next.

"Aye… I want ye te listen to me… and do me one favour… don't start a large discussion with me. Not sure if I can handle one at the moment, savvy?"

The others nod.

"Ana… ye and 'Lizbeth are going te wait outside and keep me crew under control. Gibbs, Cotton and Mathias, ye are going to keep me in place. Don't listen te what I mind tell ye, savvy? Don't mean it. Will, lad, m'sorry, but methinks ye are the best person te get these blasted things out of me body."

Will paled. "Me? Are you sure, Jack? I-I don't know what to do."

Jack closed his eyes in pain. "Don't worries lad. Ye just have to get these things out of me… Gibbs will know how to stitch everything back together when yer done." He took a deep breath before he continued. "Ye give me one bottle of rum te drink, the others ye can use to thrown over me wounds and over the knife and other such yer going to put into me body to get those blasted things out… savvy?" Jack's voice was getting softer by the minute.

Gibbs had put one hand on Will's shoulder, to give the paled man a bit of support. Truth to be told, Gibbs was happy that he wasn't going to be the one to get the bullets out, although his job was probably not going to be easy either. He nodded to Mathias, who gave Jack his rum bottle. He emptied it with shivering hands.

"Lad?" Gibbs said to Will. "Are ye ready?"

Will paled even more, but nodded with determination. If that was what Jack needed he would do it! For a second he looked surprised at the rum bottle in his hands, that Mathias just has given him before he took a deep breath.

Carefully, as not to hurt the pirate captain even more, he took of the bandages off his chest and just before he wanted to let the rum go through the wound he let his eyes lock with Jack's. 

"Jack?" he says softly. "You know you are allowed to scream, right?"

"Get it done, mate," Jack only managed to whisper.

Then, with shaking hands, Will started to do what he had to do. 

---

_Sorry for the awful cliff hanger here. I'll be on a holiday next week so don't expect me to update then! _

_JackFan2 - Everybody wondered what Gibbs whispered to Jack. Well… at least that question is answered _

_Pigwidgeon - Pfeh! A hard science exam! Those things are utter terror! Hopefully this chapter will make you relax as well, even with this ending!_

_Meowface - I think Jack will be the most dangerous man in the world if you touch his rum ;)_

_Morph - What a promise that is! 'if the next chapter is good I'll add it to my favorite stories'. Now I'm even more curious what you think of it!_


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